Shloka 173

Devanagari script

अभ्यद्रवन्त शैनेयमसंख्येयाश्ष पत्तय: । तत्पश्चात्‌ एक हजार रथी

Transliteration

abhyadravanta śaineyam asaṅkhyeyāś ca pattayaḥ | tatpaścāt eka-sahasra-rathī, śata-mahārathī, eka-sahasra-hastī ca dvi-sahasra-aśvārūḍhāḥ bahavaś ca mahārathā asaṅkhyeyāś ca padātayaḥ sātyakim nānā-vidhaiḥ śaraiḥ varṣayantaḥ samantāt pratyapatanta |

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: Incontables infantes se precipitaron sobre Śaineya (Sātyaki). Tras ellos vinieron mil guerreros de carro, cien grandes guerreros de carro, mil elefantes y dos mil jinetes; junto con muchos otros combatientes poderosos y una infantería innumerable, arremetieron contra Sātyaki desde todos los flancos, bañándolo con una lluvia de flechas de toda clase. La escena subraya el impulso implacable de la guerra: un solo aliado de la rectitud es probado por una fuerza abrumadora, y el valor se mide no por la facilidad, sino por la firmeza en medio de la violencia en masa.

Word by Word

• अभ्यद्रवन्त: ran towards, charged
• अभ्यद्रवन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√द्रु (द्रवति)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शैनेयम्: upon Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• शैनेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैनेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• असंख्येयाः: countless
• असंख्येयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्येय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पत्तयः: foot-soldiers
• पत्तयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्: then/that (thereafter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्
• Form: true

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śaineya (Sātyaki)
• infantry (pattayaḥ/padātayaḥ)
• chariot-warriors (rathī)
• great chariot-warriors (mahārathī)
• war-elephants (hastī)
• horsemen/cavalry (aśvārūḍhāḥ)
• arrows (śarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights steadfastness under extreme pressure: dharma in war is tested when a lone ally faces overwhelming numbers, and ethical strength appears as courage, discipline, and refusal to abandon one’s duty despite fear and violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki (Śaineya) is charged by innumerable infantry, followed by large formations of chariots, elite chariot-warriors, elephants, and cavalry, all attacking from every side while raining diverse arrows upon him.